The Eternal Curse
by FuyuHana03
Summary: Misaki Takahashi and Akihiko Usami met at a preserved forest. But is that really their first time meeting in that place? What if they were to find out that they were cursed? Can their love withstand a curse born centuries ago?
1. Prologue

**Greetings! After months of laziness, I finally had the will to type in my new story. Hehe. Please enjoy my new fic.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Junjou Romantica. Bummer~**

"**Some love lasts a lifetime. True love lasts forever."**

THE ETERNAL CURSE

PROLOGUE

_Kyoto, Japan_

_1856 _

The cool breeze and the dark orange sky. The scent of the roses, the daisies, and the irises that embraces the land with its adored fragrance. The grassy planes and hills, the wide fruitful trees, hundreds of them scattered throughout the vast area. Beyond that marvelous forest, a cliff stands under the blue sea. From there is where the most beautiful sunset can be seen. Once you witness the sun slowly go down as you stand at the edge of that cliff, you'll feel the heat and see the beautiful flaming colors of the sun as of it was to your reach. Truly, one can say that that place can simply be called as paradise.

As the young man gazed at the beauty of the said place, he can't help but get impatient. This place of such beauty is not only meant for his eyes. He shouldn't be the only one enjoying this view.

'I wonder where is she?' he thought.

He stood there for a few more moments. He was starting to lose hope that what he's waiting for has seized to come. But just as he was about to decide to go back, two delicate hands covered each of his eyes. Just by the warm feeling he felt as the hands of the "stranger" touched him, he immediately recognized whom those pair of hands belong to, who by the way is no stranger to the young man.

"Misaki" He said.

"Aww. You found me out already?" Misaki said, disappointed but only for seconds. It was then replaced by happiness and delight for she and the young man have met again. The man looked at Misaki with eyes that adored her so much. She looked so beautiful in her floral-designed kimono. She had beautiful brown locks tied by a ribbon made of silk. Her skin was fair, her emerald eyes matched the most priceless gems in the world.

"Well you are the one I'm expecting to come and also…"

The young man paused.

"Also what?" Misaki asked.

The young man pulled Misaki to him and gently placed his lips on hers. This startled Misaki and pushed him away but only far enough to look at his face.

"Akihiko, what are you doing?" she said. Akihiko ignored the question and instead, he held Misaki's hand and pressed it on his cheek.

"You give me this unique warm feeling that whenever I feel it, I know you're near."

Misaki burst out with laughter when he heard what Akihiko said. It wasn't because she thought of what he said as ridiculous, but because she was trying to hide her embarrassment and the quick beating of her heart.

"You say the most outrageous things"

"But still, it is true. It's like I feel the warmth of the sun when I'm with you." He said in a serious yet gentle tone.

Misaki was too shocked to talk. _Her heart was beating so fast the one heart is not enough*_. She wanted to make herself distracted before she gives in to her beloved, so she directed her gaze at the sun.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Akihiko said.

"Yes it's very beautiful"

"There's a legend I heard from the elders about this place."

"Tell me about it."

"Are you sure you want to hear it? It's not really a favorable story to tell."

"Tell me." Misaki sat down near the edge of the cliff and Akihiko followed. Soon after, he started to tell the legend

"A long, long time ago, there were two young lovers who loved each other so much that they treated each other like air. They felt that they couldn't breathe whenever they're apart. Their love was eternal and unconditional. But their love was forbidden."

"Why's that?"

Akihiko paused for a while before he continued the story.

"Their families were…at war with each other, you see. And as members of conflicting families, they were forced to separate. But they loved each other too much to do that. They decided to meet up from this place where we are right now from time to time."

"Then what happened?"

"The girl had a fiancé whom her parents chose for her and that fiancé loved the girl just as much as the girl's lover had, but of course the girl couldn't return her fiance's love for she already have someone she loves. Even so, the fiancé still insisted to be married to the girl no matter how much she opposed it. One day, when the girl was heading towards the forest to meet her lover, she didn't notice that her fiancé saw her leaving and decided to follow her. In an unlucky turn of events, the fiancé saw the girl he was about to be wedded to embracing and showing affection to another man. This enraged the fiancé. He was enveloped with despair and hatred that he set out to visit a sorcerer. He asked the sorcerer to curse the two lovers and the sorcerer, simply satisfied by the money the fiancé gave, obeyed his wishes.

"What was the curse?" Misaki asked. Eager to listen to the next part of the story.

"The curse was that, the moment the girl says the words 'I love you' to her lover, the lover would receive an untimely death. And so, not long before the girl said those words did her lover died from a mysterious accident. The fiancé thought that there would no longer be any hindrance to his and the girl's wedding, but he was wrong because the girl committed suicide a week after her lover died."

"How tragic" Misaki said in an alarming tone. She was a bit shaken from the story she heard. Akihiko noticed this reaction and touched Misaki's cheek.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just…that story. Don't you think it's familiar?" Misaki looked at Akihiko with worry in her eyes.

"Akihiko, isn't that story…almost the same as what's been happening to us?" she said.

Akihiko stayed silent and it didn't take long for Misaki to realize that Akihiko knew this from the start.

"The two lovers, they are like us. Our families are also at war with each other. That's why we keep ourselves hidden in this forest." Misaki continued "Also, they are forcing me to marry someone I don't love. I'm scared. What if the same outcome happens to us? What if we get separated by death?"

Akihiko just looked calm but he was actually cursing himself on the inside for telling this story to Misaki. He cupped Misaki's cheek so he could make Misaki look at him.

"Misaki…" his voice was low and soft, hypnotizing Misaki.

"Look at me and listen clearly. We will never be apart. No matter what happens, I will always be with you, in life and in death."

Just with those words, Misaki didn't have a speck of fear anymore. She wrapped her arms around Akihiko's neck and searched those lips she'd been longing for. Their kiss lasted long until Akihiko held back for air.

"What happened to the man the girl was supposed to marry?" Misaki said after they kissed.

"They say he went deep inside the forest once more but they didn't know what he did in there and what happened to him. They suspected that he died in the forest."

"Oh" Misaki still looked a bit worried so Akihiko embraced her with his big but gentle hands.

"Remember what I said. No matter what happens, we'll never be apart. I love you"

Misaki was filled with bliss. This was the first time Akihiko said he loves her. She couldn't contain the happiness she's feeling right now.

"I love you too…"

After Misaki spoke those words, she felt so happy. Nothing in the world could ever make her even happier.

"Let's go back" Akihiko said.

"Alright"

As they were heading back, the wind had caught Misaki's ribbon, causing it to fly away. Luckily, the ribbon got stuck in a stem found just near the edge of the cliff.

"Oh no!"

"Stay here. I'll get it for you." Akihiko said. He went near the cliff, kneeled down, and reached his hand to get the ribbon. When he finally got it, he stood up so he could bring Misaki her ribbon. He was walking towards Misaki when suddenly, he stepped on a small hole covered with grass. The hole, although small, caused Akihiko to trip and stumbled on the edge of the cliff. He held on to a small vine to keep him from falling, but it wouldn't be strong enough to pull him back.

Misaki couldn't express any other emotion but shock. One minute she saw Akihiko coming towards her, the next, he was holding on for dear life. Also, they already went near that cliff several times but never did they found a hole near the cliff. She ran towards Akihiko and extended her arms to help him, but she couldn't. Akihiko was too far for her to reach.

"Please hold on! Please!"

The vine was slowly breaking. There was nothing both of them could do.

The last scene that flashed from Misaki's eyes was the breaking of the vine and the figure of Akihiko quickly vanishing from her eyes, and being engulfed by the sea.

**Woops! Hold your horses! Don't say "Omaygad! Why'd you kill Usagi?" and all that. This is just the prologue. Everything will be explained in the next chapters ^_^**

**P.S. you may have noticed that Misaki's a girl. Well don't be sad. This is still a BL fic. Misaki won't stay a girl for long :P**

**Your reviews would really help me make this fic better so don't forget to do so.**

***guess which anime I based that line on. :D**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey again! Thanks so much for the reviews=)) Honestly, I was supposed to update this fic on Friday but since I was really happy about the reviews I got, I decided to update this sooner. So thanks again and enjoy!**

Chapter 1

**"One doesn't fall in love; one grows into love, and love grows in him.****"**  
><em>-Karl Menninger<em>

_Kyoto, Japan_

_Present day_

_"Wooooow! Awesome!" Misaki screamed. He was in the lounge of the the Kyoto Forest Preserve, leaning like a kid on the glass walls and admiring the forest for its unique and breathtaking landscapes. It's pretty rare for him to see these kinds of things being born in the city and all. Not everyday does he see trees scattered everywhere and so many kinds of animals lurking about._

_"Misaki! Over here!" Someone called out. Misaki turned around and went towards his friend._

_"Ritsu! This place is really great! Thanks a whole lot for inviting me to come here" _

_"Well your entrance exams are coming up right? And I'm gonna be pretty busy myself with work so I figured we get ourselves some relaxation before we work our buts off when we go home."_

_"Yeah you're right. Hey, come on. Let's go to the huge waterfalls people here have been talking about."_

_Before Misaki even made two steps, Ritsu yanked the back of his shirt causing Misaki to make a choking sound._

_"ueghh! What was that for?" _

_"The waterfalls are in the opposite direction." Ritsu pointed at the other side of the lounge._

_"Oh. Hehe. Sorry"_

_"You know you should really learn to slow down a bit. These woods are pretty much like a maze so make sure you stick with the guides here."_

_"Sure but I'm really good at looking for directions so you don't have to worry." Misaki said with a big grin._

_"Yeah right. Let's go."_

_"Alright"_

"Uhh. Where am I exactly?" Misaki said to himself. When Ritsu and Misaki got to the waterfalls, Misaki suddenly needed to go to the restroom. He asked Ritsu to wait for him and decided to go alone which was probably the biggest mistake he did cause the routes from the waterfalls to the bathroom are pretty hard to remember.

'_Wait, didn't I just pass this tree. And where's the pathway? All I see are trees, trees, and tress! Oh no! I'm lost! Completely los!'_ He thought _'Damn! What am I gonna do?'_

He tried to walk even further to see if he could by any chance find the right path. After minutes of clueless walking, he finally saw something the looked like an open area.

'_Maybe that's the lounge?'_

He went to have a closer look and when he reached it, the only reaction he was able to let out was awe. It was something he had never seen before. It was a cliff. With a beautiful view of the sea. It was covered with green grass and flowers were scattered around, and vines too. It was as if it was taken out of a fairytale book. It was so stunning. It left Misaki silent for a while. Yet, why does he feel like he'd been here before?

'_This place…it looks oddly familiar. But it can't be, this is the first time I've been here.'_

He looked around to see if he could find a way to get to the right direction. But as he was checking out the place, he was surprised to see someone sleeping under a tree found a bit far off the cliff. It was a man.

'_What's this guy doing? Sleeping in a place like this.'_ Misaki thought.

The guy was good-looking. He had dark gray hair and a light skin tone. He was wearing a shirt with a loose tie, like he just came out of work or something. Misaki just stared at the sleeping man. He wanted to wake him up so he could ask for directions, but that would be rude of him. Also, Misaki noticed that the guy was sleeping peacefully. He looked as if he was having a nice dream.

'_Huh? What's this?'_ Misaki noticed a pen and some paper lying next to the man. He took a look at it and found himself completely disturbed.

'_Heeeh? What kind of writer is this? Huh? What did this guy inserted to the other guy? What the hell? This is completely perverted!'_ Misaki thought as he was reading the words written on the paper.

He didn't notice that his reaction awakened the man and without warning, he grabbed Misaki's leg and pinned him down.

"What the—" Misaki didn't have the time to move. The next thing he knew, the man was on top of him.

"What are you doing? Let go of me!"

"Did Aikawa sent you?"

"What? I have no idea what you're talking about!" He kept on struggling but the man was too strong, but he didn't need to struggle that much cause after a few moments, the man finally let him go.

"I apologize. I thought my editor sent you to find me."

"Is this what you always do to people sent in by your editor?"

"If they're so close to making a phone call to tell them where I am then yes."

"U-huh."

Misaki didn't know if this man was either crazy or weird, probably both.

"What?" Misaki asked when he noticed the guy just staring at him without saying anything. He was a bit annoyed because face it, no one likes a stranger staring at you.

"It's nothing" The man said, and looked away.

'_This guy's really weird'_

The man got up, took his pen and paper, and walked away like nothing happened.

"Ah Wait! I have a question. Do you know the way back to the waterfalls?"

The man turned around and looked at Misaki. He pointed to his left, just between two big trees.

"Go straight and you'll find a pathway to the waterfalls."

"Oh thank you!"

Misaki went to the given direction but the man suddenly called out to him.

"Hey!"

"Huh? Yes?" Misaki turned to face the man.

"…Have we met before?"

"What? I'm pretty sure this is our first time meeting."

The man was just silent, like he was thinking of something. After a short moment, he opened his mouth.

"…must be my imagination." he muttered.

"Ahh…then, I'll go now. Thanks again." Misaki left the man and went away quickly before things get more awkward between him and the stranger. The man was right. Misaki saw the pathway and when he followed it, it led him to the waterfalls.

"Ritsu!" Misaki waved his hand when he saw his friend.

"Where were you? I was waiting here for half an hour. Did you get lost or something?"

"Yeah I did. I'm really sorry. Good thing I saw someone who showed me the way back." 

"Well, let's get to the lounge so we could get our rooms and rest already."

"Okay."

Misaki followed his friend and had a chat with him along the way.

"You should have listened to the guide. He told a lot of interesting things about this place." Ritsu said

"Like what?"

"He said that this place was already present for almost a thousand years. And he also said that different tribes that do a certain practice use to inhabit this place."

"Really? What kind of practice?"

"Sorcery. Cool huh."

"Yeah. Totally."

The rest of the trip was filled with exciting experiences. Before they went home, Misaki's brother called him about his friend who can tutor him on his entrance exams. Misaki was happy to find out that his friend was really smart and can give him a high chance at passing his chosen university. He went straight home after the trip so he could meet up with his tutor who was coming over.

"Misaki! Welcome back!" His brother, Takahiro, welcomed him.

"I'm home, Nii-chan."

"Hey Takahiro I—"

"Eeeh? You—" Misaki was shocked to see a familiar yet strange face he met at the forest preserve.

"Wha-what are you doing here?"

"Oh I forgot. Misaki, let me introduce you. This is Usami Akihiko. He will be your tutor."

**Please review. You can give me suggestions if you want :D Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

_"**We were given: Two hands to hold. Two legs to walk, Two eyes to see, Two ears to listen. But why only one heart? Because the other was given to someone else. For us to find."**_

_'Nii-chan, I know Usagi-san is your friend and I know I have to get along with him since he's tutoring me to pass my entrance exams but…I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO PUT UP WITH THIS GUY!'_

_Misaki Takahashi, an 18-year old boy who is currently studying for his entrance exams, has found a tutor who can really help him pass them. It seemed like an honor to be tutored by __the__ Akihiko Usami, a talented and famous novelist, a recipient of numerous awards, and a top student during his university days. Plus, his looks and status are that of a very suitable bachelor. Anyone would feel lucky to have a tutor like that. Well, anyone except for Misaki. _

_Ever since their first meeting in the Kyoto Forest Preserve, Misaki already had a bad impression of Usagi. Attacking someone and pinning them to the ground just because he didn't want his editor to find him, writing vulgar and disturbing(for Misaki) Boys' Love novels, Misaki had the idea that Usagi was just a spoiled person who does anything he wants, which is why he thought that they couldn't get along._

_And for the past weeks since Usagi became his tutor, he has proven his ideas to be true. He found out as he was always going to Usagi's huge penthouse that he likes buying toys even if he's a middle-aged man. He also collects bears and other weird items that he doesn't give much attention to after a while. It was obvious that they're not alike and it seemed inevitable that they would end up having arguments all the time._

_"That's wrong!" Usagi nagged as he rolled the math booklet he's holding and hit Misaki's head with it._

_"What the hell?" Misaki snapped._

_"I keep telling you to substitute the x with a real number and afterwards factor them to get the equation!"_

_"Haa? I can't understand what you're saying! I'm not a genius at math you know."_

_"Obviously"_

_"Why you-" before Misaki could finish, Usagi let out a big sigh._

_"Fine. I'll explain it to you again."_

_Usagi sat down next to Misaki and explained in simple terms the parts he didn't understand._

_'This guy really has a temper issue but…even though I have trouble in learning these subjects and he ends up shouting at me all the time, he patiently teaches me the lessons. I honestly thought that for a guy like him, he'd give up already.'__ Misaki thought while listening to Usagi._

_"Alright. How's this?" Misaki handed a sheet of paper with his answers on it to Usagi who quietly checked it. _

_"I guess if I really explain it to you as detailed as possible, you'll somehow get it."_

_"What's that supposed to mean? Well whatever. Alright! I'll do another problem to make sure I get it" Misaki said and answered the next problem with full concentration._

_While Misaki was preoccupied with solving math problems, Usagi, without realizing it, was gazing at the young man. He was trying to distinguish him. Until now, he's wondering why Misaki's so familiar. He knows that he just recently met the boy but why is it that he can't shrug the feeling that it's not the first time they've met. He feels that he already knew him from somewhere. Maybe it's because Takahiro always talks about him? Maybe but he's not that sure._

_ Couldn't resist his curiosity, Usagi, without warning, cupped Misaki's chin and directed his face towards him, making them look face-to-face at each other. This of course surprised Misaki._

_"Wha-what are you doing?" he asked._

_"Have you ever gone to my autograph signing before?"_

_"What? No!"_

_"Did you ever interview me for a school report or something?"_

_"No! Why would I do that?"_

_"Then do you have a twin brother?"_

_"Of course not! What's with all these questions?"_

_"We must have met at some point in the past otherwise I wouldn't feel as if I already knew you."_

_"Haaa? Will you stop being so obsessed with this! I don't remember ever meeting you until now and even if we have so what?"_

_Usagi didn't respond and he looked like he wasn't listening to Misaki at all which made the young man really irritated._

_"…past lives maybe?" Usagi said thoughtfully._

_Misaki just looked at Usagi with utter confusion, but he couldn't help but laugh so hard afterwards._

_"What are you saying? AHAHA! Yeah maybe we did. I must have been a prince once and you were my servant." Misaki said, still laughing. "You know you should really let this go."_

_Usagi thought so too. Why __is__ he being so obsessed anyway? Misaki's right. It wouldn't make a difference if they met before. _

_"Yeah, I guess you're right." He said and he stopped bugging the Misaki so he could answer the math problems._

_Misaki came over again to Usagi's house the next day. Unfortunately, Usagi was busy with work and he couldn't attend to Misaki right now so he asked him to answer some exercises that he'll check later. At first Misaki was up for answering the exercises but after a while, he got so bored to the point that he fell asleep._

_It was already late at night when Usagi finished work. He went downstairs to check if Misaki's gone home but he found that the boy was still here, sleeping by his desk. He tried waking him up but it was no use. Misaki was a heavy sleeper. _

_"He's such a kid." Usagi muttered._

_Having no choice but to leave him the way he is, Usagi carried Misaki to the extra bedroom. He figured it was really late and it wouldn't be appropriate to let him go home at this hour. He laid Misaki into the bed and went outside for a minute to get some fresh blankets. When he went back to the room, he noticed something strange about Misaki._

_It doesn't feel like it's hot in the room so he wondered why Misaki's sweating so much. Also, Usagi noticed that Misaki was getting pale. The older man didn't know what was happening to Misaki so he tried to wake him up again._

_"Hey Misaki, wake up" He said but he still wouldn't wake up. He then heard Misaki mutter something, though Usagi knew he still wasn't awake._

_"don't…." _

_"What?"_

_"Please…don't leave me…don't leave me alone again…"_

_"What are you talking about? Hey wake up!" _

_Misaki was looking worse. He was already clutching the bed sheet, and was panting so hard. Usagi held Misaki's shoulders and rocked him back and forth, forcing him to wake up._

_"Misaki!" _

_"DON"T GO!" Misaki cried as he held onto Usagi. He was panting, and was clutching the back of Usagi's shirt so tight, like he was really trying not let him go. _

_"Misaki, are you alright?" Usagi said, a bit worried of what's happening to the young man. He caressed Misaki's hair and waited for him to calm down. When Misaki finally started to loosen up, Usagi asked him again if he was okay. _

_"Y-yeah I—" Misaki was suddenly tensed and he looked up at his tutor. All of a sudden, when Misaki realized that he was actually embracing his tutor, he looked so shocked as if he'd seen a ghost, and then he screamed._

_"HEEEE? I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! I DON'T KNOW WHAT CAME OVER ME" Misaki said and he finally let go of Usagi. Usagi then realized that Misaki didn't know that he was clinging to him, until now. _

_"Uhh Usagi-san? What exactly happened to me?"_

_"Like I know. You suddenly looked sick and then you started saying weird things." _

_"Oh…It must have been that nightmare I had" Misaki muttered in a low voice._

_"Nightmare?"_

_"Yeah. It wasn't that scary but it was pretty intense, like it really happened." Misaki touched his forehead, still a bit faze because of the nightmare he had._

_Usagi raised his hand and tousled Misaki's hair with it. Misaki wasn't used to being patted on the head but when he felt Usagi's hand, he felt warm inside. It made him feel at ease again, as if he's safe and assured. He doesn't know why he felt that though, yet he wanted those hands to stay there. But of course, Usagi soon had to let go._

_"Well, it's just a nightmare. Don't worry so much."_

_"Y-yeah."_

_"Why don't you sleep here for tonight? It's late anyway. Just call Takahiro and tell him you're staying over."_

_"Ah no it's ok. I'll go home."_

_"No. Stay here." Usagi said in a tone which implies that his decision was final and there was no way Misaki could argue with him anymore, so he finally agreed to stay. _

_Not long after, Usagi stood up and head towards the door._

_"Good night" He said._

_"Good night…and thank you also." _

_When Usagi left, Misaki laid down on the bed, thinking about the nightmare he had._

_'Was that really just a nightmare?'__ He thought. It wasn't long until his eyes became heavy and he had fallen asleep again._

_**Thanks for reading! ^_^**_


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey readers! Thanks so much for your awesome reviews. I totally love them. Enjoy the next chapter **

**Chapter 3**

"_**Do you know that breathing is the most easiest job on earth? But it gets difficult whenever your staring at me like this. I always have to remind myself how to breathe.."**_

_**-Anonymous**_

It's been a few months since Misaki passed his entrance exam at Mitsuhashi University. It was a miracle he got in, and it only became possible with the help of Usagi, his tutor. With all that's happened, it seemed like there's no other problem to worry about. Wrong. Turns out that his brother, Takahiro, was assigned to work at a different town, far away from the university. Misaki had to find another place to live in the meantime.

Surprisingly, Usagi offered to let Misaki stay in his house for free in exchange for Misaki doing the chores in the house. And so, that's when it was decided that Misaki would start living with his tutor.

It was the start of April, where spring time arrived. Misaki quickly grabbed his bag and other school materials. As he was preparing to leave, he saw his former tutor, now landlord, coming down the stairs.

"Usagi-san! Good morning. I'm off to school now. Your breakfast is ready and your lunch is in the microwave. Just heat it up when you want to eat it."

"Do you want me to drive you there?"

"No thanks! Your car's way too out of place. Everyone there's intimidated with me because they see you picking me up there."

"Then let them be intimidated." Usagi said plainly.

"I don't want to spend my college days alone you know."

Misaki glanced at his watch and was shocked to see that it was already 8:00.

"Oh no! I'm late! I'll get going now. Be back by 3"

Misaki dashed out of the front door and hurriedly went to the train station. He went in line to get some train tickets.

'_Aww…there's so many people in here. At this rate, I'll be late for sure. It's all Usagi-san's fault. I lost track of time cause he kept talking to me. Even though I've lived with him for a few months now, I still can't understand him. He always does as he pleases no matter how bizarre they are. Like even if he's always busy with work, not once does he skip a meal with me. Hmm…Maybe it's cause I'm a great cook?'_

His train of thought was disrupted when he noticed that the line wasn't moving. He looked at the guy in front of him and saw that he was just standing there. Misaki thought that the guy looked lost or something, so he decided to talk to him

"Um, excuse me sir. Is there a problem?" Misaki asked the guy

The man turned and looked at Misaki. He had dark brown hair and eyes. He wore round business-type glasses. His posture looked stiff and he wore a suit that looked really expensive.

'_Eh? Somehow, his face looks familiar'_ Misaki thought.

"No there isn't." He looked at the train directory next. "I'm trying to get to Teito Hotel."

"Uh then you'll go to this train. I'm going on that one too so, if you want, we could go together."

The man agreed and pretty soon they were riding on the train on the way to their destinations. Misaki felt awkward riding with this man. He had an aura that simply says 'Be intimidated by me.' And he also looks like a big shot businessman. A guy who's not that interested in socializing. Kind of like someone he knows.

"Umm by the way, my name's Misaki, and you are?"

"It's Haruhiko"

"Oh. Nice to meet you then." Misaki held out his hand. Haruhiko was hesitant at first but he then decided to shake the boy's hand.

"So anyway, you seem like you don't ride trains very often." Misaki said

"Yeah. Actually, this is my first time riding one."

"Eh? Seriously?"

'_This must be one rich guy'_ Misaki thought

They were quiet for the rest of the trip, and when Misaki reached his stop, he stood up to get near the sliding doors. Haruhiko followed.

"Oh, Haruhiko-san, you're stop is at the next one."

"No, it's okay. I…I just realized I need to buy something near here."

"Is that so."

When they got out of the train, Misaki hurriedly went to the train exit.

"I'm sorry Haruhiko-san, I need to go to class now. See you!"

Before Misaki went far, Haruhiko called out to him.

"Wait." He said

"Yeah?"

"Thank you."

"…No problem" Misaki said as he smiled and waved goodbye to Haruhiko.

He doesn't know why, but Haruhiko found himself just standing there, staring at Misaki as he smiled at him and went away. It took a short while to come to his senses and leave the train station as well.

'_That's weird. I didn't really come here to buy anything, yet…why did I told him that?'_ he thought

Misaki came late just as he guessed. What's worse, the teacher in charge of the class was his scary literature teacher, Kamijou Hiroki. Not only did he get marked in his attendance but he also received a bitter scolding from his professor.

After class, Misaki went to the grocery first to buy ingredients for dinner. Afterwards, he went home and found Usagi smoking by the couch while reading a newspaper.

"Are you making tempura?" Usagi asked when he saw Misaki dip shrimp onto beaten eggs and flour.

"Yeah."

Usagi got a little curious to how Misaki prepares the meal so he hanged out in the kitchen for a while, watching Misaki as he cooks.

"How was your day?" Usagi asked out of the blue.

"It was ok. I met someone at the train station. He seemed like he didn't know what to do so I helped him out."

"You know you shouldn't really talk to strangers. Something bad might happen to you"

"Eh?" Misaki looked at Usagi with wide eyes.

'_Wait, is he worried about me?'_ When Misaki thought this, he blushed a little. _'for real? Well I guess there is some goodness in him after all' _

"W-well it's not like I can't take care of myself. I'm a college student now." He said

"Yeah but you look more like a highschool student. Plus, you look as if you're easy to fool so there's a chance that criminals like that would target you."

"_Gee_, thanks for worrying." Misaki thought sarcastically. He didn't know whether he was irritated or just insulted with what Usagi said.

'_I was wrong to think this guy's good at all!'_

"Look I can take care of myself! I-ow ow ow! My eye!" Misaki gasped when he suddenly knocked over the bag of flour. It released flour dust that came in contact with Misaki's eye, causing it to sting.

"What's wrong?"

"Something went into my eye…ugh! I can't take 'em out." Misaki said as he scratched his eye. Usagi sighed and came over at Misaki's side.

"If you scratch them, It'll get worse."

Usagi cupped Misaki's cheeks which alarmed the boy.

"W-What are you doing?" Misaki said with closed eyes as he tried to break free from Usagi, but the older man only cupped his cheeks again and tilted his chin up.

"I'm going to blow the dust away so stay still."

Usagi blew at Misaki's eyes gently that it made the young man feel a bit conscious. All the places where Usagi's touching. His cheeks, all the way to his ears, felt hot. Even the places where he could feel Usagi's breathe felt incredibly warm. It was a feeling that, for some reason, he recognizes. It was a nostalgic feeling. And it felt as if he was longing for this feeling for such a long time.

'_Why do I feel this way? It's just Usagi-san.' _

"I-is it gone now?"

"…open your eyes."

Misaki slowly opened his eyes. It sting a little but he was able to open them. It was a blur at first but it later became clear, that it was Usagi-san he was looking at. Who, in return, was looking at him as well. It stayed like that for a while. Neither of them looked away, until the phone rang. It was like a wake up call and Misaki realized what just happened. He felt his cheeks redden and he quickly stepped back and looked down.

"Uh t-thanks, Usagi-san!"

"Yeah" Usagi went to the phone and answered it. It took them a while to talk before Usagi hung up the phone.

"Misaki" Usagi called.

"Huh? Yes?"

"Next week. You don't have classes right?"

"Uh yeah. We have a one-week break. Why?"

"Pack your bags by then and cancel all your plans that week." That was all Usagi said and he started going up the stairs.

"Huh? Wait! Usagi-san, what's going on?"

"We're going to Kyoto."

**Woohoo! I finished another chapter! YAY! At last! The next chapter's in Kyoto already. I've been waiting to get to this part:3 this is where it aaaaaaall began. HAHA**

**Thanks for reading! Please review :D**


	5. Chapter 4

**Why can't my story just come out of my head and type itself? *sigh* I gotta get over my habit of being too lazy to type in long chapters. Sorry for being a bit late. I was caught up with watching Junjou Romantica season 2. again XD **

**Chapter 4**

"_**Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs."**_

_**- William Shakespeare**__**  
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Misaki sat on the right front seat with Usagi, who was driving, next to him. They were on their way to Kyoto, a city filled with wonderful landscapes and a place grounded on culture and tradition. But despite the beauty of the place they were going to, Misaki just couldn't get over the fact that this trip was so sudden. It's like everything's been set to fast forward and the next thing he knew, he was riding on a red sports car with his landlord. And he doesn't even know why he was asked, or should we say, forced to come.

"Remind me again why were here?" Misaki said, as they were on the highway.

"I told you. My editor and the staff arranged this congratulatory party for me because I won the book award. I don't really care about that but if I refuse, she'd annoy me like hell and just drag me all the way here anyway."

"I know that. What I'm trying to ask is why _I'm_ here too. I mean, I am happy for you that you got an award but shouldn't your family be the one who's going to Kyoto with you?"

Usagi just stayed quiet and didn't respond for a while.

'_Huh?Did I say something wrong?' _ Misaki thought.

"I don't really care if my family comes. I'd rather they wouldn't actually."

Another long pause. This time coming from Misaki.

"Geez. Then why the heck did you invite me to come?" He finally said. He was looking out the window and he didn't really care much about the situation anymore. He got tired of trying to understand his landlord and just decided to go through with what's happening.

Usagi didn't respond and just kept driving. The silence felt awkward. Misaki waited for an answer but minutes passed and he still didn't get one, so he let the topic go. He wasn't comfortable just sitting there and doing nothing so he thought of another topic to talk about.

"I never thought that someone like you could be swayed by your editor so easily. That editor must have some amazing talent."

"Not really. If it was just the party, I wouldn't come even if she'd punch the lights out of me. The venue of the party was the reason I agreed to come. I've been wanting to go there again but my schedule won't let me."

"Oh yeah. I forgot to ask about the venue. Where is it?"

"here."

"Eh?"

Misaki looked out the window and saw that they were entering a gate. The place was filled with lots and lots of trees. Up ahead, a wooden lodge can be found, with two buildings next to it.

"Wait, isn't this place…"

"The Kyoto Forest Preserve" Usagi finished.

Usagi turned the wheel and parked the car near the lodge. He turned off the car's engine and stepped out. Misaki did the same after. They walked towards the entrance of the lodge and when they got inside, a woman, dressed in a formal business attire came running up to them.

She had orange hair, a cute face, and appealing curves.

"Usami-sensei! Thank goodness you came!" The woman said. With sparkly eyes and a big smile. A face so much lightened up with hope.

"Eh? Who's this?" She said, looking at Misaki.

Usagi gestured his hand to Misaki.

"This is Misaki Takahashi. He's currently living with me so I brought him along as entertainment."

"Entertainment? What the hell do you think I am?" Misaki shouted, pissed off to the next level.

"Helloo~ My name's Aikawa. Usami-sensei's editor" the woman said and she bowed at Misaki

"Oh. Nice to meet you." Misaki said. He smiled and bowed as well, forgetting that he was pissed.

"Well how about I get you to your room now."

Aikawa checked in and led the two men to the elevator. She was talking about how grand the party will be, which Usagi didn't care to listen to at all. They were standing in front of the elevator door and when it opened, Usagi's eyes widened.

"Hey, Usagi-san? What's wrong?" Misaki asked when he noticed what happened. He looked front to see who was Usagi looking at and saw a man he remembered clearly. The man was also as shocked as Usagi. He stepped out of the elevator but stopped just in front of the two men

"Haruhiko-san?" Misaki was surprised to see the person he met at the train station here in Kyoto.

Both Usagi and Haruhiko looked at Misaki with wonder and confusion.

"You…" Haruhiko started to say.

"How do you know him?" Usagi asked ahead before Haruhiko could finish what he said.

"Uhh…well, he's the guy I told you about. That one met at the train station. Wait, do you perhaps know each other?"

"Misaki didn't you know?" Aikawa's voice was finally heard. "This is Haruhiko Usami. Usami-sensei's brother."

"What?"

Misaki looked at Usagi, then Haruhiko over and over. His eyes were wide as he gazed at both men. It was just so much of a coincidence to find out that the guy he met at the train station was actually Usagi's brother. He didn't even know Usagi had a brother. It was pretty hard to digest it all.

"They don't look alike at all" he managed to say.

"Naturally." Haruhiko muttered.

"Usami-san, did you come here for the party?" Aikawa butted in.

"What party? I'm here for business."

"The party for Usami-sensei. We've sent you an invite remember?"

"Are you coming?" Haruhiko asked and looked at Misaki.

"Huh? Me? Well, yes."

"Aikawa, give me the card to the room." Usagi suddenly said. The moment Aikawa gave him the card, he grabbed Misaki's hand and head inside the elevator.

"Wait! Usagi-san! What are you…" The elevator door closed and it brought them to their floor, leaving Aikawa and Haruhiko.

"What the—they just left me!" Aikawa said furiously.

"Why was Akihiko with the kid?" Haruhiko said.

"Eh? Usami-sensei said that he's currently living with him. Why?"

"Nothing" it was the only thing Haruhiko said and he left Aikawa soon after.

"I said let go of me!" Misaki shouted.

Usagi was still holding Misaki's arm. His grip was so tight that Misaki couldn't get away. It was also starting to hurt too. They walked toward their room. Only when they were inside the room did Usagi finally let go of Misaki.

"What's the matter with you?"

"Don't ever talk to him."

"What?"

"Don't come near him either."

"Wait a sec. Why?"

"Just do as I say."

Misaki was angry now. Why would he just stop talking to someone just because Usagi said so? Why does he need to obey him? He's not a kid anymore who simply follows orders. He doesn't understand why Usagi's acting like that. He looks so angry right now. What's the reason? Misaki looked at Usagi with angered eyes, wanting to argue with him some more but Usagi just sighed and head to the door.

"I'm going to buy cigarettes." Usagi said as he opened the door.

"Wait Usagi-san!"

Even though Misaki called out to him, Usagi simply ignored him and went out. Misaki, now alone in the room, couldn't believe what just happened. He sat in the couch and punched a throw pillow. He was just so annoyed.

'_What's the deal with him? He gets angry but doesn't tell the reason! He just does what he wants. He's the worst!' _

The next morning, the day of the party, Usagi and Misaki kept their distance and as much as possible, they didn't talk. It wasn't hard to do since Aikawa kept coming to their room to make sure Usagi's prepared, and so he wouldn't have the chance to escape. As for Misaki, he seldom stayed in the room. He immersed himself in exploring the preserve and the hotel. He was trying to avoid being alone with Usagi. It stayed that way until night, when the party was about to start. Aikawa went to the room again to pick them up.

"Sensei, let's go! It's almost time for the party." She exclaimed.

Misaki, although he was still mad, decided to come to the party anyway. He and Usagi went to Aikawa.

"Wait." Aikawa said when they were about to leave.

"What?" Usagi asked

"Your suit's a bit wrinkled. And your tie's a bit loose too!" She went over to Usagi and straightened out the wrinkled part of his suit. She also fixed Usagi's loose necktie.

As Misaki looked at them, he noticed something.

'_Those two…look good together.'_

"Everyone's going to look at you so you should look really handsome." Aikawa said.

'_They seem close as well'_

"It's just going to be boring there. I'll just stay for a few minutes." Usagi replied.

"Don't say that! We worked hard for this so the least you could do is amaze everyone with your presence."

'_I wonder if those two ever had a relationship before.'_

"Done! Wow, you look great" Aikawa smiled and she patted Usagi in the shoulders.

'_Does Usagi-san…like her?'_

_Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump_, was the only thing Misaki's hearing. The sound's getting quicker and quicker. Getting heavier each time. He felt as though he can't move. Like he's carrying weights. What's more, something's tightening between his chest. Where the sounds are coming out. Why?

'_What's wrong with me?'_

"Misaki!" Aikawa called out.

"Y-yes?" startled, Misaki came into his senses.

"Is something wrong?" Misaki saw the two outside the door already. He noticed that Usagi was looking at him.

"No." he said. Looking away from Usagi, he went out the door. After that, the group went to the activities hall where the party was starting.

**Sorry nothing exciting has happened yet :D but rest assured that it's gonna come soon****) please look forward to the next chapters! **


	6. Chapter 5

**2 more weeks of summer -_- can't believe I'm gonna be a college student soon. **

**Chapter 5**

_**"Love has the power of making you believe what you would normally treat with the deepest suspicion."**_

The party was as grand as what Aikawa said. There were exquisite and fine décor everywhere, high class gourmet food—in fact, they were so high class that half of the food served were unknown to Misaki—and there were many known celebrities (most from the publishing industry) present as well, wearing ravishing night gowns and suits. Truly, it was something Misaki wasn't used to attending.

'_Just as I thought. I'm so out of place'_ Misaki thought to himself.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! We would like to call on now the star of this party, Mr Akihiko Usami! Congratulations on winning the N**** Book Award!" As the commentator announced this, Misaki saw all the guests facing the stage, gazing at Usagi's brilliance as he stepped on stage. He said some greetings and made a speech of appreciation. He then flashed his gorgeous smile that almost all the ladies swooned over.

'_I can't believe it! They're really buying it! I wonder if those girls would still show their lovestruck faces when they find out about Usagi-san's true nature'_ Misaki felt disgusted but at the same time a bit impressed at how Usagi can fool almost anyone with his handsome poker face. He also can't help but feel impressed as he saw Usagi surrounded by his admirers.

'_Maybe…Usagi-san's amazing after all. If only he wouldn't be so hard to deal with then I'd look up to him a little'_

It was then when a pair of eyes, belonging to the person who was the center of this party, glanced at him. But of course, Misaki looked away again the moment he noticed it, and so did Usagi. Their eyes were like magnets with opposite charges. Once their eyes meet, it would immediately shift apart. Then again, he's not exactly in good terms with the man right now. But as he looked away, he realized, that it was not just Usagi who looked at him. A girl, who he has no idea was, was staring at him.

The girl looked young. Like she was just Misaki's age. Maybe younger. She was very cute, he'll admit. She also had long black hair that reached down to her waist and round black eyes. She had fair white shin and a slim body figure.

'_Wow! A cute girl's staring at me! Is she an actress? Wait, does she like me? Cool! I guess Usagi's not the only one who can get really cute girls'_

Misaki was flattered, but he soon noticed something. The girl just kept staring at him with an emotionless expression. It was like that for a while now that it was starting to creep Misaki out. He tried to ignore it and moved to another place, but the girl's eyes never left him.

'_What's up with her? Is there something on my face?' _

That was when he saw the girl open her mouth slightly. And then…

'_**Don't repeat the same tragedy!' **_

'_What?'_

At the exact moment the girl opened her mouth, Misaki suddenly heard a voice in his head. It was a girl's voice. It was so loud and intense that it gave him a headache. He looked around to see if ever someone was talking on the mic or something. But there was no one. It also seemed like he was the only one who heard it. He looked at the spot where the girl was, but was surprised to see that she was gone.

'_Where's the girl?'_ He looked around again but there was no sign of her.

Misaki hurriedly went to the rest room. His head was still ringing a bit. He headed towards the sink and washed his face.

'_That girl…was she the one who said that?...No! It couldn't be. She was too far away. There must be a lot of alcohol in the drinks I drank that I'm starting to hallucinate.'_

He dried his hands and face. When the headache was completely gone, he decided to go back to the party but before he could leave the bathroom, he unexpectedly bumped into someone.

"Ha-Haruhiko-san?" Misaki was shocked. He remembered what happened yesterday in the elevator which wasn't helpful cause it only gave him another headache.

"What a coincidence! I thought that you went home already." Misaki made his tone light, like the incident yesterday didn't happen.

"I stayed for another day, hoping I'd be able to see you again." Haruhiko said with his usual monotone voice.

"See me? What for?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Uh…about what Haruhiko-san?" Misaki remembered that Usagi told him not to talk to or even see Haruhiko. But he soon shrugged the thought. After all, he doesn't have to listen to what Usagi says all the time, even if he was his landlord.

"How did you and Akihiko met?" Haruhiko asked. Misaki wondered why he asked that seeing as though he and Usagi don't seem fond of each other, but he answered anyway.

"Well, he was my brother's best friend and he was my tutor during my entrance exams too. Why did you want to know?"

"I was just curious. And how is your life with him?"

"He was able to get me to the university I want and he was kind enough to let me stay at his house but he's really a bit hard to understand. In fact, he's always doing what he likes and he doesn't even care what other people feel! And also! He's arrogant and proud and selfish! He also—" _'Oh no! I've said too much'_

Misaki realized he was already blurting out his anger on Usagi towards his brother so he quickly apologized.

"It's alright. That's just Akihiko. He's just been spoiled too much that's why he thinks he's free to do anything he wants. It must be hard sharing the same roof as him."

"Well, that's not really what i—"

"Which is why I wanted to ask you if you would live with me instead."

"Eh?"

"I heard that you only lived with Akihiko because your brother was out of town and you needed to live near your university. If you stay at my place, you could be at the university in 10 minutes. You can stay there for free and you wouldn't have to put up with Akihiko."

"But why?"

"Think of it as my thank you for helping me in the train station."

Misaki was silent.

It was certainly too much to accept an offer such as that. He only helped him ride a train. It wasn't so much of a big deal. It was kind of Haruhiko to care for him like that but still.

"That's—"

"That's not necessary."

Misaki looked past Haruhiko and saw the figure of Usagi. His arms were crossed and he wore a face that simply says he's not happy.

"Usagi-san!"

"Let's go." Usagi said and just like what happened yesterday, he grabbed Misaki's arm and left Haruhiko once more.

"Akihiko!" Haruhiko called before the two went far.

Usagi stopped.

"It's not really you who should decide this." Haruhiko murmured.

After he heard this, Usagi just continued to drag Misaki to their room despite the boy's struggles. Again, when they reached their room, another argument began.

"Who are you to just drag me wherever you want?" Misaki snapped. If he felt angry yesterday, then he's feeling a whole new level of anger today.

"I thought I told you to never talk to him again." Usagi snapped back but in a calmer way.

"I didn't agree to that! I don't see why I have to avoid someone just because you say so!"

"He's not someone you should get yourself acquainted with."

"Why? I don't understand! Ever since I met you I can't understand a single you do!"

"Misaki…"

Usagi, although he was still a bit irritated, wanted to calm the situation down but Misaki was too mad to try and keep a cool head. He felt his blood boiling and his head couldn't think straight.

"What's wrong with you? Why can't you just mind your own business? Just leave me alone and go to Aikawa-san!"

Misaki's eyes were getting teary. His feelings of anger were too much to handle. Why is he getting so mad?

"What are you talking about?"

"Look I don't care anymore! Just leave me alone!"

"Misaki!"

Misaki was going to walk out. But as he turned around and walked away, he was stopped when Usagi's arms gripped him tight and faced him. He cornered Misaki with his long arms and he placed his palm onto the back of Misaki's head.

"What are you—"

Misaki could not finish his words cause his mouth, was suddenly covered. With Usagi's own mouth. Without warning, Usagi kissed him. Misaki was caught off guard. He never expected this to happen and never even thought this would happen. And yet, somehow, he felt different. He wasn't mad anymore. Why was he even mad from the start? The back of his mind says let go. To push Usagi away. But his heart and body says otherwise. He can't understand what's happening. Why is he acting this way? As their lips touched, the feeling of nostalgia kept increasing. It was like something had awakened. That he had found something that has been lost for too long. He felt…good. But he knew better than to just accept what's happening.

He pushed Usagi as hard as he could to break free. He panted and took deep breathes for he was almost out of air. Usagi didn't stop him anymore. He just stood there as Misaki ran to his room with trembling feet, slammed the door, and locked it. His legs were shaking that he sat at the floor and curled up.

'_Why…did he do that?' _

He bit his lower lip and gazed up, staring at the ceiling and hopefully clearing his mind.

'_Usagi-san…'_

Meanwhile, amidst their quarrel, a figure was lurking about outside the hotel, looking at their window. Outside the cold air by the rustling trees, a girl with hair as black as a raven was standing.

"It's starting to happen again. I wonder…if _you'll_ be able to do something this time." The girl muttered as she looked at the glass window where two people felt nothing, but utter confusion.

**I'm gonna miss you summer and our do nothing days! T_T **

**thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 6

**This is going to be a loooooong long chapter so ready your eyes and butts cause you're gonna be sitting in front of the computer for a while XD**

Chapter 6

_"**Love knows no reasons, love knows no lies. Love defies all reasons, love has no eyes. But love is not blind, love sees but doesn't mind."**_

Misaki slowly opened his eyes. He found himself slouched in his bed. By the looks of the bright light coming from the window, he guessed it was already morning. He stayed lying on the bed. He didn't feel like getting up yet. It was like that for a few more minutes. The room was quiet. It was only chirping he could hear. In the silence, he recalled the events that had happened last night. The talk he had with Haruhiko. The fight with Usagi. The unexpected kiss.

It was somehow infuriating that he remembered them in detail. He wished it could have been one of those nightmares that he dreams of from time to time. He wished none of what happened last night actually happened. But no matter how much he wished it, it's still real.

He tousled his hair and finally sat upright. It was then when he glanced at the clock in the side drawer.

"What? 12:30? Its midday already?" he bounced out of bed at once. He couldn't believe he could sleep this long. He headed towards the door but before he could turn the knob, he stopped.

'_Wait, what if Usagi-san's out there?'_ he worried.

It's true that he didn't want to see Usagi but he also can't stay in his room forever. He was hesitant at first, but he slowly opened the door and took a peek outside. He saw no sign of anyone in the room. Not even when he tried to look around. He was relieved, but he was curious as to where Usagi was as well.

'_Maybe he just went out to eat.'_

He soon went out to eat as well. It was such a sunny day but it wasn't that hot outside so he decided to eat by the open area near the forest. It was a right choice. It's not very crowded which is why he was able to find a decent bench to sit on. The atmosphere was relaxing. It was helpful for him. It made him feel free from his stress.

"Misaki-kun?" A voice suddenly called.

Misaki looked up and saw an orange-haired woman.

"Aikawa-san…"

Aikawa sat on the bench as well. It was a bit mean but Misaki didn't really want Aikawa to be here right now. He hates himself for thinking that since Aikawa's so nice to him. But right now, whenever he sees her, it's a bit uncomfortable. He can't tell her that of course. He stayed quiet and just focused on eating his meal.

"How was the party last night?"

'Last night'. Ugly words for Misaki at the moment. He didn't feel like talking much but he wasn't rude enough to ignore a question.

"It was good." Misaki answered. _'Good as in it was the worst night of my life!'_

"Really? Great! I'm so happy that the party was successful. Usami-sensei was really amazing that night."

"Uh…y-yeah." He really _really _didn't want to talk about _him _right now. Why can't Aikawa sense that?

"By the way, where is Usami-sensei?"

"I don't know. When I woke up he was already gone."

"Well, if he comes back. Can you call me? Even though the party's over, other guests still stayed in the hotel hoping they could get to know him more."

"Sure" _'Yeah, as if he'd really go'_

After that, Aikawa received a phone call and had to run back. Misaki was alone and in that time, a lot of things ran through his mind.

'_It wasn't right…what Usagi-san did. He shouldn't have been so controlling. But, then again, I was really mad last night. I shouldn't have snapped like that. And I've said some things about Aikawa-san as well…"_

'_I wonder why he doesn't want me going near Haruhiko-san? Is it something so bad to be acquainted with him? If it is, does that mean that he's just trying to protect me? But I don't understand why.'_

As he felt the warm breeze touch his skin and blew his hair, he remembered about the last thing that happened to him and Usagi.

'_And also…that kiss. Why did he do that? There could've been other ways to stop me, but why that? Does that mean… he _likes_ me?'_

"Aha! Ahahahaha! That's impossible! Why would he like another guy? That's absurd!" Misaki blurted out loud. He was lucky that no one was around and he has finally able to calm down.

He sighed. Things are getting more confusing by the second.

"I guess I better head back." _'And I probably should talk calmly with Usagi-san when I see him too' _

When Misaki stood up, he suddenly felt goosebumps. He had a weird feeling, that someone was watching him. He looked around but no one seems to be there. Then he heard rustling sounds in the bushes. He quickly averted his eyes and took a closer look at it but found no one there as well. The feeling was gone too. _'It must be the wind.'_

He spent the whole afternoon watching TV. It was pretty much a boring day.

It was already 5:00 pm and Usagi was still not back. That's when Misaki got a little worried.

'_Tsk. Where has that guy gone off to? He couldn't have gone home. His car keys and clothes are still here. Has something happen to him?' _his worry increased.

He went outside to look for him. In the hotel, the lodge. He went to every place he could think of. The last place he looked was at the forest. It was still bright when he got there. At first, he still knew which way to go to but when it grew dark, it was hard for him to find the right pathway. Until…

"Uh…where am I exactly?" he said to himself. It was really dark now. Somehow, it just seemed that this was the same thing that happened to him last time he searched this woods alone. But this was much much worse. No one would go here at this time so how the hell is he going to find help.

'_Damn you Usagi! It's your fault I'm lost! Where the hell are you anyway?' _

As he was walking, a thought suddenly flashed into him.

'_Last night…didn't I tell him to leave me alone? Does that mean he left because of me?'_

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard strange noises.

"What was that?"

It was getting cold. Misaki's lost in the forest, it was night, and now he's hearing weird noises. It was only natural for him to be afraid. He walked desperately to find the right pathway. He noticed that the noises were getting louder so he sped up. That's when he saw someone. The person's image was vague. It was night after all. The only thing he could distinguish is that the person was a girl with long hair.

"Hey! Could you please help me?" Misaki called out. He never felt so happy to find someone. As he was getting closer, he saw the image pointed a direction.

"Is that the way back?" Misaki looked at the direction the person was pointing at but when he looked at the person again, he was shocked to see that the person was gone.

"Th-the….g-g-gone!" Misaki can't produce proper words. He was terrified at the thought that the person he was talking to is actually a ghost. He ran as fast as he could. Frightened, he started shouting as well. He passed through dozens of trees when he noticed something bright. He ran towards it. God knows what it was but it's better than staying in the dark.

He ran so recklessly that he didn't even notice a long branch lying on the ground. It caused him to stumble forward that his face landed hard on the ground.

"Ow ow ow! That seriously hurt!" Misaki touched his face. Checking if there are bruises around it.

"Misaki?"

"Eh?" He directed his eyes as to where the voice came from. There he saw a man, sitting near a log by the cliff.

"U-Usagi-san!"

Misaki stood up. He dusted the dirt in his shirt and went over to him.

"What are you doing here?" Usagi asked.

"Shouldn't I be the one asking that? I thought something bad happened so I came to look for you! I can't believe you're just lying around here all along!"

"You…looked for me?"

"Well duh!—" _'Huh?'_

Misaki noticed that he was talking to Usagi normally again. Since he noticed it, it just brought back the awkward feeling. He crossed his arms and averted his eyes away from him. As he observed his surroundings, he realized that he knew this place. A cliff hanging by the blue sea. Yes, this is the same place. This is the place where he and Usagi first met.

"Hey…" Misaki murmured.

"Hm?"

"So um, why are you here again? Isn't this the same place you went to when you last came here?" he asked.

"I always come to this place whenever I can. After all, this is my favorite place in the world." Usagi said as he gazed at the moon.

"Favorite place?"

"Yeah. I only discovered this place a few years ago but somehow it feels like I've known this place all my life. When I need to get away from work, this is where I'd come. And I feel like this place is just for me."

Misaki sighed. "There you go again like you own everything." He chided.

"It's not like that. You see, I don't know why but other than you, it seems that no one knows about this place. With a beautiful place such as this, you'd think that a lot of people would come here, but they don't. Actually, it's more like they can't see this place. Like there's some kind of magic that only lets me enter it. But, it's strange that you're the first one who's able to find me in this place."

"So you mean to tell me that this place chooses people who can go here?"

"I don't know."

"Weird."

The two didn't talk after that. Misaki soon sat down with Usagi by the log because he felt his body getting tired from walking around all afternoon. Both of them were looking up the sky. Misaki saw how beautiful and bright the moon was from this place. It reflected a cold yet comforting light onto the cliff. What Usagi said earlier made a bit sense to him. This place is so beautiful and it's not that hard to notice so why is it that no one ever comes here?

"Listen, Misaki." Usagi finally spoke.

"What?"

"I'm sorry about what happened last night." Usagi was still looking far away. Misaki felt that his apology was sincere.

"Oh...well, in the first place, why don't you want me to be near Haruhiko-san anyway?"

"It's a bit complicated to answer that right now."

Misaki sighed once more. "If you're not going to answer me right now, then can you at least tell me when you're ready?"

"…sure"

"And also, it's not only that I'm sorry for. About what I did to you…" Usagi added.

"You mean…" _'The kiss?' _Misaki couldn't help but turn red. He was so grateful that it was night already. Usagi wouldn't notice his blushing cheeks.

"I'm sorry I did that. It wasn't the best way to show you how I felt."

"It's also my fault anyway, I was so mad and I went out of control so I guess you had to do that to shut me up and—"

"Wait" Misaki interrupted his own words. "What did you just say?"

"I'm sorry."

"No! After that! What do you mean 'how you felt'?"

Usagi turned his head and looked at Misaki eye to eye. Usagi's lavender eyes; They seemed as if they could see right through Misaki. It made the boy feel embarrassed. He felt his whole body getting hot and sweaty. Then he saw Usagi gently smile.

"I realized that…I like you, Misaki."

Misaki just stared at him with wide eyes.

Has he heard right? It sounds as if Usagi, his former tutor now landlord, actually confessed to him.

"Aha! Ahahahaha! What are you talking about? Are you crazy? Don't joke around like that." He said with a trembling loud voice.

"It's the truth." Usagi's tone was serious.

Misaki felt like he didn't want to argue. He really felt that it was the truth.

"And chances are, you like me too."

"Excuse me!" It came a bit of a shock to the boy.

"You like me too don't you."

"What? Of course I don't!"

"Then why is it that you liked it when I kissed you."

"Huh?"

"You think I didn't notice. If you didn't feel anything when I kissed you then you would have pushed me sooner."

"That's—" He can't think of a word to say. Why is he speechless? He could have easily argued back but somehow, he can't.

"B-but were both guys." He finally managed to say.

"So?"

"And our age difference."

"And?"

Misaki's heart was pounding so fast. Is this really happening?

"I don't feel that way for you."

"Is that true?"

"Y-yes."

"Then say that again and make it believable."

Usagi went closer to the boy. As Misaki felt him coming closer and closer, the urge to move away kept increasing, but his whole body was numb. No. This couldn't be what he thinks it is.

"I don't—"

Usagi pressed his cold palm unto Misaki's cheek and kissed him before the boy could finish another word. Not like last night, this kiss was more gentle. And this time, Misaki didn't push Usagi away anymore. A stream of emotions came flooding through him. Overwhelming his whole body. _'These feelings, where they here before?' _ He's starting to wonder. Each contact he had with Usagi sends a tingling feeling. Could this be what he thinks it is? Could this be what they call…_love_?

"Liar." Usagi said when their lips parted. Misaki didn't say a word. He was looking down, still hypnotized from Usagi's touch.

"I love you, Misaki."

Misaki tilted his head up. He never knew that these words would come from this man. They were words that wrapped him so tight. And he couldn't believe the words he was going to say next.

"Usagi-san, I- I lov—"

'_**Stop!' **_A loud shout echoed in his mind.

'_Eh?'_

'_**Don't say it!'**_

'_**Whatever you do! Don't say those words.'**_

Those words kept on repeating in his head. They were so loud. As loud as giant church bells that rang all at once. It gave him a hell of a headache

"My head…" Misaki gripped his forehead.

"Misaki?" Usagi was confused with Misaki's reaction.

"My head hurts"

Usagi grabbed hold him to make sure he was steady. He held him until Misaki's pain subsided.

"Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah. I'm fine."

"It must be because you had a hard fall earlier. Let's go back."

"Alright."

He held Misaki's hand and helped him all the way back. Before they left, Misaki was able to glance at someone near the trees. He thought it was just his imagination, but the figure was too familiar. He ignored it for now. With his serious head ache, he'd ignore everything just to lie down. And so, he let Usagi lead him back to the hotel while holding his hand.

**Phew! Done at last! So far, this is the longest chapter I've done. Thanks for reading!**

**Um, to all readers, am I still doing alright? Hope you can answer me:D**

**If you have any suggestions and comments, please click the review button now **** Thank you!**


	8. Chapter 7

**A thousand sorries for taking so long to update -_- let me explain why: actually, I was done with this story since June 20 but the problem is that I CANT LOG MY DAMN SELF IN! I typed my username and password for like 2 whole weeks or more but it still won't log me in. Something about an invalid image verification that I CAN'T SEE! X-( …and now when I tried it again, July 15, it finally worked! Ugh! So again I'm sorry. It's not entirely my fault. And sorry too for wasting your time reading these tantrums of mine. So ENJOY! God I missed this =))**

Chapter 7

"_**I love thee, I love but thee with a love that shall not die till the sun grows cold and the stars grow old."**_

_**- William Shakespeare**_

"_Misaki…Misaki…"_

_Misaki found himself in the woods. By the looks of it, it seemed as if he's in the forest preserve again. He remembered being in this part of the forest but there was something odd about that area. He's sure that the last time he came, there was no traditional Japanese house located in it. There was no one around him, except for the wind brushing on his skin and a voice of a woman calling out his name. _

"_Who's there?" No matter how far he looked, he can't find the owner of this voice. It was the same voice he heard before he confessed to Usagi. But this time it was softer. Not so loud and alarming like last time._

"_It's fast approaching…" the mysterious voice said _

"_What?"_

"_It's time you remember everything before its too late."_

"_Where are you? Show yourself!" the boy was confused. Where is he? And what's happening to him?_

"_Find me and you'll get your answers. It won't be long until the curse seals your fate." He keeps hearing the voice from different directions. It felt like the speaker was everywhere. _

"_What do you mean? What curse?"_

_The wind blew more strongly that Misaki had to cover his eyes. That's when he heard someone crying. When he opened his eyes, he saw a girl, knees down and sobbing so hard. Misaki doesn't know why but all of a sudden, his heartbeat rose._

'Who…who is this person?'_ he couldn't see the girl's face because her back was facing him. The girl had long brown hair with a ribbon tied on it and she wore an old style kimono, more like Japanese clothing from hundreds of years ago. As he went near the girl, he noticed that there was someone lying on her lap. The girl was holding that person and clutching at his clothes so tightly. When Misaki peeked at the person lying, words can't explain how shocked he was. _

_It was Usagi. He looked as if he was sleeping at first. But to Misaki's horror, he realized that Usagi was not as asleep, he was lifeless. _Dead_. _

"_What the—It can't be. What's happening?" he said weakly._

"_Akihiko…" He heard the girl murmur. Misaki looked at the girl and with wide eyes, saw that she looked so much like him. Literally, she was the exact copy of him._

"_Akihiko…" the girl said again. "Please…don't leave…me" she said between sobs. That person really was Usagi. Misaki was so scared to see or even think that Usagi's dead. He couldn't take any more. He stepped back and started to run. Wishing that he'd get out of this crazy nightmare. _

"_This isn't real!" he shouted. He kept saying it over and over until finally, his eyes opened and he was back in his room. Well, the hotel room that is. _

'_I'm…in my room?'_ he squirmed around and sat upright his bed. His eyes quickly searched for something. Better yet, someone. _'Where is he?'_ he desperately asked himself. Then a knock came. Misaki never felt so relieved in his life when he saw Usagi opened the door and entered the room. Looking so alive and well.

"What's wrong?" Usagi asked.

"Huh?"

Usagi sat on the bed and touched Misaki's cheek.

"Your face looks so pale. Should I get you some medicine or something?" he said.

"No, I'm alright. I just had a nightmare that's all. No need to worry." Misaki felt that just Usagi's warm hand is enough to make him feel better.

"Does your head still hurt?"

"It doesn't anymore. Thanks for worrying." Misaki smiled. He wasn't used to it, but Usagi being kind to him made him very happy.

The scenes of last night played in his head. It made him feel so embarrassed that he looked down just so he won't see Usagi's face, not knowing that Usagi noticed right away what he's thinking. Being a tease, Usagi cupped Misaki's chin and tilted his head. He moved closer until their faces were only centimeters apart. It amused him to see Misaki all red and innocent.

"Hey, I have a question." Usagi said.

"Wh-what is it."

"Last last night, you mentioned something about Aikawa. What does she have to do with me?"

Misaki looked surprised and he averted his eyes again.

"Well…I noticed how you and Aikawa are so close so…I thought there was something between you too."

Usagi just looked at him with disbelief. He sighed.

"What did you see that made you think we were involved? Honestly, you have a bad habit of jumping into conclusions."

"I know that! That's why I'm really sorry for misunderstanding."

Usagi patted Misaki's head and afterwards, he kissed him.

"You don't need to apologize. Actually, I'm happy you got mad. It's because you thought I like Aikawa right? If that's so, then you must really love me"

"What? Don't be so full of yourself!" Misaki argued but Usagi just pinned him down in the bed and started unbuttoning his shirt. The lower he unbuttoned, the lower Usagi's kisses went. He kissed him again in the lips then it went down to his neck, and then to his chest…

"N-no, Usagi-san…"

Usagi was already starting to strip Misaki's pants off when his phone rang so loud, it echoed in the room. This gave Misaki a chance to jump out of bed and escape. Annoyed, Usagi answered his phone. Speaking of the devil, it was Aikawa. She said something about meeting the guests who stayed in the hotel for Usagi. Of course, Usagi didn't want to so Aikawa had to barge in their room and drag Usagi desperately to go outside. She even asked Misaki to help her, much to the dismay of the boy. But as a kind person, Misaki felt pity over her and convinced Usagi to go with her, even if he wanted them to be together for a while.

"Are you sure it's okay?" Usagi asked as he was about to leave the room.

"Yeah. I'm just going to look around while you're gone."

Before he left, Usagi gave a quick kiss to the boy. Luckily, Aikawa was already out of the room. "Don't get any wild imaginations again alright? I'll say this to make it clear. I love _you_. Not Aikawa." He whispered before he went away.

Misaki also left the room a short time later. He was just there yesterday, but he still decided to go to the forest preserve again.

'_It's weird. But I feel like I want to go to this place again.'_ He thought.

The atmosphere was peaceful. The rustling trees gave Misaki such a soothing feeling. He was about to go back after walking around for a few minutes when he encountered the woods from his dream.

He recalled his last dream. It was only a dream but he couldn't forget what he experienced in it. He was so confused about what the voice said to him. And also, about the people he saw in his dream. About the girl who looked just like him. About _Usagi_. He headed to the woods to check if there really was a house in that area or something that would prove to him that what he saw last night was really just a dream. When he saw that there was no house present and the woods looked exactly the same as the last time he went there, just an open area with trees surrounding it, he felt relieved.

"See? It was really just a dream. It's not real." He said to himself. He turned to head back but when he did, a girl was standing before him. Misaki was so surprised that he almost yelped. But when he got a good look at the girl, he realized that he recognized her.

"Hey, aren't you that girl from the party?" Misaki was so sure that she was. He couldn't forget her face that stared at him throughout half of the party.

The girl didn't answer so Misaki asked another question. "Who are you?"

"…My name is Kan." She said.

'_That voice…'_

"Um, what are you doing here, Kan?"

"I'm waiting for someone." she said in a low voice. Just like last time, her expression didn't change. She still looked as expressionless as ever. As if she wasn't feeling anything.

"Is that so? Who're you waiting for?" Misaki said with a smile and keeping a friendly tone.

"You"

"Eh?" The girl tilted her head and stared at Misaki with eyes as black and deep as a black hole.

"I knew you'd come, Misaki" she said.

"How did you know my name?" The girl ignored the question and asked another question herself.

"Did you not come here to get answers?"

"What did you say?" Misaki said with eeriness.

"Are you not here to know about the _curse_?" she asked again.

Misaki was silent. He thought that it was just a coincidence but what the girl said proved him wrong. The voice of the girl and the voice from his dream, really are the same.

"Tell me something. This might be a weird question but, a-are you the one who spoke in my dream?" His voice was coarse.

The girl didn't reply. Her eyes were enough to answer Misaki's question. So his dream wasn't just an ordinary dream after all. This girl, named Kan, was exactly the person from his dream.

"How—"

"If you want me to answer your questions, then follow me." She walked past Misaki. When he turned around to follow her, he was shocked to see that the traditional house he saw in his dream was there.

'_Could this day get any weirder? The house just appeared out of nowhere!' _

He saw Kan enter the house and soon after, he went in as well. He wondered why he had a strong feeling that he should trust Kan even though he just met her. The inside of the house looked bigger and more spacious than when it was viewed from the outside. There weren't any furniture around. There was only a large window and the mat they're standing on. Once they were in the center of the room, Misaki began asking.

"How are you able to do these things? How can you speak in my head or enter my dreams?"

"By now, you've realized right? That I'm not normal. I am a human just like you, but I'm also different from you. I possess powers that normal humans don't have. And I also possess a body that has lived for hundreds of years. I'm what you people call…a sorcerer."

"A sorcerer?" Misaki stared at Kan with disbelief.

"Yes. That's why I am able to enter your mind. I use my powers to summon your subconscious mind and communicate with you through your dreams."

"But I don't understand what you're trying to tell me. In my dreams, you said that "_it_" is fast approaching. And something about a curse. I don't know those things. I'm just a normal boy. I think you just mistook me for someone else."

"That's because you still haven't gained your past memories. You still don't know the truth."

Kan moved closer to Misaki and landed both her palms on each side of his forehead.

"I'm here…to help you recover those memories. I will help you break the curse."

After she said those words, a blinding light flashed in front of Misaki. He couldn't see a thing. It was like that for a short while. When the light started to clear up, he realized that he was not inside the house anymore. He was in a place where the cliff is, where Usagi and he were last night.

'_How did I get here?'_ he wondered.

Near the edge of the cliff, still a safe distance to see the sea clearly, he saw someone standing. His physique was similar to _that person's_ build but since only the back was facing him, he wasn't sure if it's really _him_. It was only when someone from behind called out _his_ name that Misaki was able to confirm his assumptions.

"Akihiko!"

Before he could shift his body to see the person who called out Usagi's name, someone ran past him. And that someone was in fact, the girl that looked just like him. Unlike his dream, the girl looked so much cheerful. Misaki tried to call out to her but the girl can't seem to hear him. It might be that she can't see him as well.

The girl called out again to what Misaki recognized as Usagi. Her voice was like a melody as she said his name. Usagi heard it and turned around. Showing a smile so gentle that Misaki's heartbeat increased intensely. When the girl finally got to Usagi, she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him so lovingly. So did Usagi. They both radiated a glow of happiness around them. It was a scene that mesmerized Misaki.

"Do you recognize those people?" Kan suddenly said. Misaki didn't realize that Kan was just beside him.

"They look just like me and Usagi." He said. _'but they look much more happier.'_

"You're wrong. They don't look like you…they _are_ you"

"What?"

"What you're looking at right now, is a memory of your past lives."

**Again, I'm sorry it took so long. My college scheds a bit busy but I'll really try to update once a week, and if not, twice a week :P**

**P.S. You may have noticed that I'm a conservative writer (boohoo to me -_-) Well, I'm still afraid to take it to the next level coz I might fail and end up making a crappy love scene but I'm gonna start practicing (haha! Kay wtf?=))) how to write a scene such as "that" so maybe in one of the next chapters, my imagination and writing skill would be polluted enough to take a whack at it XD haha! Oh yeah, no promises okay? -)))) **

**P.P.S. I named the girl Kan coz I like it**

**Love, FuyuHana03**

**Please review! **


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